


For the tide to come back to me

by mistress_shiny



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Canon Injuries, Connor's POV on the boys, Fluff, Horses, M/M, Mild Angst, Other, Schmoop, dumb boys, mild kid!fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-27 16:37:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7626067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistress_shiny/pseuds/mistress_shiny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five moments plus one in the lives of Ryan, Taylor & Jordan as seen by Connor McDavid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For the tide to come back to me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flawsinthevoodoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flawsinthevoodoo/gifts).



> Handwaving away real life and putting all four of them in the same house last season. Any other errors I hope you can just roll with it.
> 
> Fill for Poly Hockey Exchange 2016 for @Flawsinthevoodoo I hope you enjoy this, it's the first time I've written this poly and the first time I've done outsider POV on a fic.

1.  
Connor watched as Jordan made a third lap of the lounge room straightening the cushions for what seemed like the thousandth time. He wanted to say something but he really didn’t know Jordan well enough to ask what was bothering him. Jordan huffed out a breath and then darted into the kitchen. Connor could hear him mumbling to himself as he checked whatever he had bubbling on the stove. There was a slamming of cupboard does and Connor gave in and stood up, stretching.  
“Jordan, can I do anything to help?”  
Jordan looked up startled, almost as if he’d forgotten he wasn’t alone.  
“Oh, hey, no. No. it’s fine.” he squinted at the phone in his hand and opened the cupboard above the stove.  
  
“Does a tablespoon of chilli sound like too much to you? Taylor doesn’t like hot food”  
“Yeah, it sounds like a lot.” Connor reached for the phone.  
“Dude, that says a teaspoon.”  
“What? No, that stands for a tablespoon.” Jordan took the phone back and looked at it in horror.  
“Oh god. I put a tablespoon of salt in it”  
Connor grabbed a spoon and dipped it into the sauce. He tried not to make a face but obviously successful.  
“Is it bad?”Jordan looked like he was going to be ill.  
  
Connor filled a glass with water.  
“No. Well yes, I think my mum said something about putting a potato in when you make things too salty.”  
Jordan turned and started digging through the cupboard until he came up with a potato.  
“Just one?” he asked.  
“Maybe two.” 

They still had their heads together over the sauce half an hour later when they heard footsteps in the hallway. 

Taylor and Ryan stood in the doorway to the kitchen looking a little rumpled from the journey. Connor hung back a little watching as Taylor stepped forward and tugged Jordan into his arms. 

Jordan’s hand reached out blindly until it found Ryan and pulled him into the hug. Connor watched the tension drain out of Jordan and they held the hug a beat too long. Ryan’s hand came up to brush at Jordan’s cheek and Jordan let out a quiet sound and in an instant the spell was broken and they broke apart. 

Ryan spoke first, his cheeks flushed.  
“You had a little sauce.”  
Taylor looked over Jordan’s shoulder at the stove.  
“Jordan, did you make bolognese? It smells amazing.” 

Connor cleared his throat and stepped forward to greet the guys.  
****  
2.  
The world was fuzzy around the edges as Connor tried to open his eyes. He’d fallen asleep in the recliner when they’d gotten back from the rink. He was still taking the painkillers even though he’d managed to convince his parents and the Doctors that he could come back to living with the guys. 

Taylor had sat him down in the recliner with a bottle of gatorade and his pills and he’d drifted off to the sound of the other three chirping each other through call of duty. 

The game was quiet now and Connor forced his eyes open. Taylor sat in the corner of the couch setting, a well worn paperback in one hand. His other hand was tangled in Ryan’s hair, who was fast asleep with his head pillowed on Taylor’s left thigh. Taylor was absentmindedly carding Ryan’s hair into a spikey mess. Jordan was snuggled against Taylor’s other side. Face tucked into Taylor’s hip, Ryan’s jacket tucked around his shoulders.

Something settled heavy in Connor’s chest as he remembers the feeling of Dylan’s hands in his own hair and he must make a small sound.

Taylor looks up from his book.  
“Hey.” he says quietly, obviously mindful of the two fully grown hockey players asleep in his lap.  
“Hey.” Connor croaks out, then reached for his gatorade.  
“How’s the pain? Do you need anything?” Taylor asks.  
Connor looks pointedly at the two sleeping men and a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.  
“I think you’ve already got your hands full there, eh?”  
Taylor looks down fondly as Ryan shifts and lets out a quiet snore.  
“I think Ebby is drooling on me.”  
Connor snorts and quietly shifts the recliner down. As he rises he speaks again.  
“Do you need anything?”  
Taylor gestures with his book but his eyes are fixed on the men in his lap.  
“Nah, I’ve got everything I need.”

****  
3.  
At any moment Taylor was going to scoop up Jordan and carry him away from the giant beast that Taylor was convinced, and had repeatedly told them all, was going to stand on one of them at any minute.

The beast was called Calcifer and Ryan had just finished telling a reporter that he was going to grow up to be one of the finest race horses in Canada. 

Connor was playing cameraman for them today, for once he wasn’t the centre of attention, there was a lot of money being spent on horseflesh today, and while Connor could sympathise with the beasts before him he was glad to not be the one in the spotlight. Calcifer was a beauty, tall and strong, all barely contained speed and shivering muscles. Calcifer butted his head against Taylor and Taylor let out an undignified yelp. Ryan turned quickly and rolled his eyes.

“He wants to say hello Tay. Here just do this.” Ryan held Taylor’s hand out towards Calcifer, and placed a small slice of apple in it. Connor could see how Ryan was pressed in against the line of Taylor’s body. His thumb stroking over the pulse point in Taylor’s wrist. Calcifer ducked his head over Taylor’s palm and let out a snort of breath that made Taylor jump, but Ryan held him steady.

“Horses aren’t like Chara are they? They can’t smell his fear?” Jordan ribbed from the other side of them.  
“C’mon Taylor, how am I going to teach you to ride a horse if you can’t even feed one?”  
“Ride?” Taylor’s voice spiked an octave.  
“I never said I was going to ride a horse, I’m pretty sure I can’t, it’s in my contract or something.” 

Calcifer took the distraction as opportunity to finally steal the apple from Taylor’s hand and he butted his head against Taylor’s hand as he chewed noisily. 

Taylor petted the caramel coloured gelding softly.  
“He’s all muscle.” He said, distracted.  
“He’s an athlete, like us.” Ryan seemed to realise he was still holding Taylor’s wrist then and stepped back, straightening his suit. 

“Connor, can you take a picture of all of us and Calcifer?” Jordan asked as he put an arm around Taylor and one around Ryan as they stood in front of the horse’s stall. The first picture Connor took was great, the second was perfection as Calcifer pushed his head between Taylor and Ryan trying to sniff out more treats. 

****  
4\. 

Connor knew the history of this building, he could feel it in his bones as they skated down the ice. He would be the first to admit that Hockey players can be a little superstitious, but he tried very hard not to be that guy. He didn’t think anyone would question him when he said that tonight they weren’t alone on the ice. 

Rexall was bursting at the seams, the crowd in full voice. Connor closed his eyes and said a prayer to the Hockey gods that one day he’d be able to bring these fans a trophy. 

The horn sounded and they skated to centre ice, sticks raised in salute, to the fans and to the building they called home. Connor looked around at the group on the ice, and he knew they wouldn’t be the same group next year, but he wanted to remember them, remember this, as his first season in the NHL was coming to a close. 

Connor turned to find his roommates. They were standing hip to hip, eyes bright as they saluted the crowd. 

The locker room was quiet, the excitement of the win, gone, replaced with the certainty that there was one game left and a long empty summer stretched before most of them.  
Connor watched as Taylor straightened Jordan’s collar before turning to adjust Ryan’s tie. 

Connor hitched his bag up on his shoulder and Jordan looked up from where he was watching Taylor’s hands move against Ryan’s chest. 

“C’mon boys, let’s not keep the fans waiting.”  
****  
5.  
Connor opened the door to the darkened hallway as Ryan shifted uncomfortably behind him. The guys weren’t expecting him, he’d only meant to fly in and fly back to Toronto in the same day, just shoot a few commercials and get out of there. Then his phone had exploded and he hadn’t been able to get hold of Jordan or Taylor but he’d gotten a call from Ryan saying his flight was getting in a 6. Connor had offered to pick him up from the airport after his day finished then they could find the others.

Ryan looked pale and drawn and Connor had wanted to ask if he’d spoken to Taylor but he was worried if he did that Ryan might shatter into a million tiny pieces.

There was already a small pile of boxes labelled in Taylor’s large looping handwriting by the door and Connor wondered if Taylor had had a heads up from management. The house was quiet but there was light coming from the lounge. Ryan dropped his bag and almost pushed past Connor, not even stopping to take off his shoes.

Connor almost ran into Ryan as he’d stopped dead in the doorway to the lounge. Connor could see past him to where Jordan and Taylor sat tangled on the couch exchanging slow sweet kisses.  
Connor could see the pile of tissues on the coffee table and the telltale blotchiness on Taylor’s cheeks. Connor put a hand on Ryan’s back and spoke quietly.

“You go on in and join them, I’ll go find us takeaway and come back.”  
Ryan turned sharply and stared at Connor with anger and betrayal warring on his face.  
“No.” he spat and turned to take the stairs up to the bedrooms two at a time.

Jordan and Taylor had broken apart and Connor saw their faces as Ryan spun from the room.  
“Ryan!” Jordan called, his voice rough with spent emotions. He rose to go after the younger man but Taylor stopped him.

“Jay, no, maybe this is for the best.“

Connor stood there trying to work out what the hell was going on.  
“I’m not sure how you both think letting your boyfriend go off in a huff when one of you have just been traded is for the best.“ Connor asked the two men in front of him.

Taylor scrubbed a hand over his face and then looked at Connor.  
“Ryan’s not my boyfriend.”  
“Partner then, whatever you call it when you are in a threeway relationship.”Connor was getting a little exasperated.  
“No, we aren’t, we never. Not with Ryan.” Taylor tried again.  
“Not with each other either.”Jordan said quietly. “Not until today.”  
“What?” Connor wanted to shout at them, but years of media training kept his voice steady.  
“Are you honestly saying that the three of your aren’t together? I’ve spent all season thinking you guys had the perfect relationship.” 

Jordan sighed.  
“There’s no relationship. We almost did but it was too scary, too much to handle, and Ryan was a rookie, so we decided we wouldn’t.”  
“It’s too late now, it’s a mess, you’ll both be better off when I’m in New York.”  
Jordan looks stricken.  
“Jesus, are you both idiots. Ryan loves you, you all love each other, the whole damn team can see it, heck the whole of Canada can probably see it. You don’t let that go just because it’s hard.”

Jordan stands and takes Taylor’s hand.  
“We should talk to him.” he says to Taylor.  
Connor nods at them both.  
“I’m gonna go crash at Yaks. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”  
Taylor catches Connor into a hug and Connor can feel as he takes a shuddering breath.  
“Go,” Connor pushes them towards the stairs. “Talk to him.”

The next morning Connor opens his messages to a picture of three steaming coffee cups on the bench and a string of love heart emojis from Taylor.

***  
+1 

Connor clears his throat and raises his glass. 

“I know the years have sent us all to different corners and different countries, but the three men before you have shown us all that it doesn’t matter where life takes you, the people you love and who love you, will be with you for life. This ceremony only formalises something that we, their friends and family have known forever, that for them, there are no others, for Ryan, Taylor and Jordan there is only each other and the family they have created.” 

A small dark haired girl tugs at his shirt cuff.  
“Yes Sophie?” he asks as the room looks at them with uncontained smiles.  
“Does that include me?”  
Connor lifts his honorary niece onto his hip.  
“Yes it does, do you want to say anything to everyone?”  
The young girl looks at the microphone in his hand with serious eyes then takes it from him.  
“Daddys can we have cake now?”


End file.
